The Island
by Charley Trout
Summary: A retelling of Hikaru and Misa exploring a decimated Earth and discovering the Protoculture island in Macross: DYRL.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is my first attempt at writing fan fiction of any kind. This story is a retelling of Ichijou Hikaru and Hayase Misa's exploration of Earth and the ancient Protoculture island in Macross: DYRL. I would appreciate any and all feedback. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.**

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With a dull, resonant click and a faint hiss, the canopy of Ichijou Hikaru's VF-1A opened, sending a wave of scorched sea air into his lungs. With a deft motion of his hand, he quickly unstrapped himself and stood up in the cockpit, arms crossed in disgust. He turned his head ever so slightly to catch a glimpse of his passenger and commanding officer, the very unfeminine Captain Hayase Misa, who was seated behind him. A shock of his unruly espresso hair partially obscured the view.

Hikaru was practically trembling with anger. _What sort of woman assumes control of a man's Valkyrie and attempts to pilot it when he will not? _No woman he cared to know. He admitted to himself that it was only an unarmed training plane, not his own Skull-11, but it was the principle of the matter! Misa had invoked duty, beseeching him to explore the nearby ocean in hopes of learning where they had crash-landed and if there were any enemies or other lifeforms present on the charred planet. _It's always duty with her_, he thought to himself. _That's why she's old and alone._ While only three years separated his twenty-two from her twenty-five, to Hikaru, it may as well have been thirty.

He saw her yanking at her seat harness rather unceremoniously from the corner of his eyes. _It's not that she doesn't look like a woman_, he thought bitterly. _She does, and that makes it worse. _If he didn't know her, he might have thought she was handsome. Misa was blessed with delicate features, intense jade eyes, and a willowy figure nicely showcased by her grey UN Spacy flight suit. She was also the most decisive, domineering, and unflinching woman he had ever met - the polar opposite of the charming, effervescent, mesmerizing Lynn Minmay, with whom he had shared three unforgettable days in the belly of the SDF-01.

After a brief struggle and some mumbled curses, Misa too was free. Helmet off, she stayed seated, and leaned out over the side of the cockpit, arms resting on the plane's battered exterior. _It was better when we didn't know where we were_, she thought, shaking her head to herself. _And that was just minutes ago! _After her feeble attempt to make the garish orange training plane fly, Hikaru had taken the controls back and stabilized the aircraft, but not before she had dragged the left wing along the singed soil below. Before he could curse at her brash stupidity, her audible gasp had made Hikaru go silent.

It was worse than they could have imagined. Hell, they had discovered, was real. An empty alien planet would have at least held clues and perhaps some supplies or ammunition. Instead, they stared at half of the still-smoking hull of the _Prometheus - _the Pacific Navy's largest, most heavily armed aircraft carrier. _This is Earth_, Misa's mind screamed! _Our Earth!_ She had recalled the months since the Zentradi had annihilated the planet and all its peoples, and still a faint cloud of smoke trailed out of the anemic wreckage. The other half had simply been vaporized -– not even a ruined shell evidenced its existence.

Still seated in the cockpit and staring into the distance, Misa recalled that her first reaction had been rage. Her fists had flown into the back of Hikaru's seat in front of her. He had turned and looked at her with wide, fearful eyes, and she stared at the two blue orbs with their giant onyx pupils, but her intense gaze went right through him. Without a word, Hikaru had flown the craft back to the rocky shore where they had crashed, its pockmarked surface covered in crags where white sand should have been. Once they had landed and stopped, he had popped the cockpit. And here they were, still inside, silent as the dead planet beneath them.

For the moment, Hikaru's mind did not dwell on the Earth's ruin - it was so permanent. Instead, he found himself thinking of Minmay and her dour cousin Lynn Kaifun, who were lost from the SDF-01 – they were still prisoners of the Zentradi, who had folded away as Hikaru and Misa were pulled back into space. After escaping his own brief captivity on that ship, and living the horror of watching his sempai die in a dogged gunfight, he could only wonder what the race of giants would do with Minmay and Kaifun next – make them kiss while they grimaced in disgust? Make her sing while they screamed in agony at the foreign sound? Crush them when she cried, as she always did when she was scared?

Misa let out a long, deep sigh that brought Hikaru out of his waking nightmare. He was almost grateful for the interruption. "Well, let's make camp tonight and we'll scout the earth for survivors tomorrow," she said flatly. Her tone of voice, while placid, made it clear to Hikaru that it was not a request, but a command. He had seen a brief moment of Misa's rage, and marveled at how quickly she had swallowed her feelings and resumed her role as a steely, focused Captain. _The consummate professional_, he thought to himself. He wasn't sure if he resented or admired that quality in her – a bit of both, in truth.

With a brusque jump, Hikaru landed on the rocks below, leaving Misa in the cockpit. As she debated whether to jump, as he had, or try to climb out the side, she saw him return with a thin, collapsible ladder. She stood up, turned around, and made her way down warily, with neither grace nor clumsiness. He watched detachedly as she walked to the shattered shoreline with a hand over her brow, shielding her eyes from a sky of unending haze. Dull grey waves washed in and out, as languid and lifeless as the landscape itself.

Swiftly, Hikaru was up the ladder, in the cockpit, closing the canopy, and stowing the ladder before Misa could even notice. She was sitting with her knees up under her crossed arms at the water's edge, foamy sea lapping at her boots. Hikaru thought it strange of her to give an order and then sit down so blithely, but he decided not to disturb the fleeting peace. Instead, he inspected the Valkyrie's various storage holds for survival supplies. In a few moments, a tent was erected, fuel and food tins amassed, bedding retrieved, and the plane powered down to conserve energy for the next day's search for humanity. A low rumble escaped from the clouds above, which had grown a little darker as he had readied the campsite.

As the sky opened, and angry, warm drops of rain began to fall, Hikaru found a rock to perch upon. He stared past Misa's back, their two sets of eyes focused on the unending, colorless horizon. As the shower intensified, he waited for her to say something, or make her way into the tent, or both. Her quiet stillness was unusual. _She always has something to say_, he thought to himself, scowling faintly. _And it's usually an order or an insult._ In a moment of weakness, Hikaru wished it was Roy, or Claudia, or even one of the bridge bunnies that he was marooned with. But he had a macabre realization. _At least with Misa, we'll survive this – she's entirely too stubborn to die here. _He gulped nervously.

Silently, Misa rose, the calves and ankles of her flight suit wet and sandy. She pushed past the tent's opening flap, leaving Hikaru alone with the sea and silence.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you for your follows and reviews! Please keep them coming - I love feedback! I am having a lot of fun writing this. Polishing up Chapter 3 tonight and will post tomorrow. Cheers!**

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Streams of dawn light permeated the thin tent through a hole where the zippers that formed the door did not meet. Misa had always been a light sleeper, but that didn't matter – she hadn't slept anyway. There was too much to comprehend. Her mind had raced from the moment she had enveloped herself in the sleeping bag. Hikaru hadn't yet stirred, but she was glad for his silent company.

After leaving Hikaru sitting on a rock the night before, she had entered the tent to find two sleeping bags separated by a crudely-dug fire pit, though nothing had been lit. It wasn't so cold, at least not yet. She settled inside the artificial cocoon, and heard him enter eventually. He had stumbled briefly, muttered something unintelligible under his breath, and, by the sound of it, crawled into his own bag.

With no fire to light the night and rainclouds obscuring the moon above, it was pitch black. So dark, Misa had failed to make out the outline of her hand while holding it within inches of her face. The rainy darkness had lulled Hikaru to sleep within minutes – she could tell as his shallow breaths became longer, lower, deeper, more rhythmic. _Typical man,_ Misa had thought to herself wryly. _They can sleep anywhere, even after a day filled with a dozen horrors._

She exited the tent in a mostly silent fashion and greeted the day by returning to the shore, gazing upon the _Prometheus_ ruins. The sea seemed mostly as grey as yesterday; the sky still an ashen stretch above. Somehow the crushed hull fragment was comforting to her – it could easily be the last remnant of human culture to survive the Zentradi onslaught. At the same time, the relic was terrifying – surely there were corpses and blood and gristle in its many holds, decks, and rooms. Yet no scavengers circled above for carrion.

Stomach turning, Misa swallowed. She took a deep breath and turned her thoughts to the other frightening fact _Prometheus_'s ruins portended._ We could be the last two human beings alive on this planet_, she thought, her face flushing slightly, though no one was there to see it. _Obviously he hasn't realized that yet._ She thought then of the SDF-01, locked in combat with the Zentradi somewhere in the middle of the solar system, and wondered if they'd ever see it again. _They don't even know we're here_.

Misa willed her thoughts to the practical, which was simply her habit when forced to face difficult truths. It wasn't just military academy training – it was a muscle she had flexed often. It had been her coping mechanism long before she first donned a cadet's uniform. The death of her mother. Her father's cold, inward grief that pushed her away. Riber's stationing and death on Salla Base. _No wonder they think I'm cold_, she mused. _I've been icing my heart to soothe the pain for so long_.

Practicality told Misa that _Prometheus_, despite the terrors it most certainly contained, could save their lives yet. It most certainly held stores of food and fresh water – the training plane's supply wouldn't last forever, though neither she nor Hikaru and touched it yet. It could also hold working communications systems, to reach other wrecked ships on Earth, or even the SDF-01 itself. Steeling herself, Misa walked into the waves, pushing against the tide until the water deepened past her height.

Treading water when she could no longer walk, she estimated the ship was still several hundred meters away. She glanced back at the Valkyrie and the tent. Hikaru slept, still. _Maybe he'll be less irritable if he's well-rested_, she thought to herself. She turned and began a slow, steady freestyle swim toward the hull, feeling strangely emboldened. She was an average swimmer, having to pass compulsory fitness exams of several types while a cadet in military academy, but the current's insistent presence made the trek somewhat challenging.

Soon enough, she rested against the side of the _Prometheus's_ metal exterior, its entire form lodged into the seabed at a steep slant, almost laying sideways. She thought she might be able to walk up its side to get past the massive hull and up to deck level. _Why didn't I bring rope, or make Hikaru fly me to the deck? _She thought, irritated by her own oversight. _Lack of preparation is why boldness so often fails._ She pulled herself up and began more or less crawling up its massive side, grasping occasionally for purchase.

Once on the tilted tarmac, she instantly scanned the marred surface and found the bridge tower. If this half of the ship had been vaporized, she wouldn't have been so lucky. Turning her body sideways, she took slow steps to avoid sliding off the surface and into the water below. Everything looked so strange from this angle. Carefully, she approached the bridge tower and took it into view. It was several stories high, and all the glass had been blown out in every window she could glimpse. Unfamiliar with the tower's layout, she decided to limit herself to the top tier, where the highest-ranking crew would have been stationed.

Feet first at the base of the tower, she resumed her crawl upwards, using her hands to steady herself, careful to avoid sharp glass, her chest facing the tower wall. The steep slant of the ship had made the tall tower scalable. She approached the lowest level and stretched her head in. It was too dim to see anything meaningful. Shimmy-crawling up to the highest level, she clung to a side pane of a blown-out window frame, pulling herself in with her legs and feet. Despite the light of day, it was darkened by shadows and the absence of electricity.

She gulped, and let her eyes take in the scene. Only a few blackened skeletons were present, jutted up against the far console, as if they had slid across the floor when the ship broke apart and began its descent into the seabed. More crew could have been blown out with the windows, but Misa doubted it. _They must have evacuated most all of the bridge crew to a lower deck, though no one would have escaped death. _To her great relief, there was no blood or gore. Whatever Zentradi weapon had struck had evaporated the crew's water-based flesh and the fabric that had clothed them in an instant. Only steel remained.

Misa turned to the various storage cabinets lining the room, all of them steel, many of them welded shut by heat. Others had lost their doors entirely and were burned out bare. The walls were blackened, but intact. She made her way to a doorway that probably led to the lower decks, and imagined Admiral Bruno Global walking through it, ordering Vanessa, Shammy, Kim, and even Claudia and herself down below. _He would face death with only his pipe, and go down smoking with it_, she mused, and faintly smiled.

Touching the steel door, sealed shut for all time, she felt her glove catch on a tiny set of grooves. Pulling her gloved hand away, she took a closer look at the inscription. There, in perfect lettering, read the words HAYASE TAKASHI, twice – once in kanji and again in romaji. She blanched, sinking to the ground, and rested her head in her hands until she was able to calm her wild heartbeat and jagged breathing. Slowly, she put all the pieces together.

_Father was here? Not on Alaska Base?_ Since leaving Earth with the SDF-01, there was so much she realized she didn't know. Official word was that the communications were jammed between the battleship and the Earth, but the officers aboard the SDF-01 knew better – Earth simply saw the ship as a liability and didn't want to lend it support for fear of the Zentradi intercepting the communications and annihilating the Earth in response – not that such a strategy had worked. The apocalypse had come regardless.

Pulling herself up once more, she realized that she had been gone for hours. The faint, white sun shone weakly overhead, which meant it was at least eleven or noon. She kissed her gloved hand and touched her father's last words, and made her way to the windows opposite where she had entered. The churning grey and white expanse below beckoned. Inhaling deeply, she shut her eyes and jumped, waiting for the waves to welcome her.

Swimming back to her makeshift camp and Hikaru, she found that salt water masked her tears, and for that Misa was grateful. She could finally express an emotion without consequence. Returning to the shore, she found Hikaru sitting on his rock once more, watching her approach slowly. She braced herself before meeting his gaze, expecting an earful about where she had gone off to and how long she had been away. Upon seeing her misty eyes, his scowl softened to a look of curiosity.

Sniffing and swallowing, she sat at his feet, knees under her arms again, and looked into his eyes sadly. Her words were quiet, but firm. "Tell me, Hikaru. What is it like to be an orphan?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Chapter 3 as promised! Please review. :) Thanks for all the feedback so far - I appreciate it!**

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Hikaru had resumed his perch upon a flat rock near the shoreline, staring off into the horizon and _Prometheus_. When he woke, there was no sign of Misa, which hadn't alarmed him. Not at first, anyway. He assumed she was sitting on the rocky beach, gazing wistfully at the sea, as she had done the night before. But his assumption had proven wrong. After a half hour, and then an hour, and then another hour slipped away, he started to wonder. Before long, curiosity gave way to reluctant worry. He ran his gloved fingers through his wild hair nervously. _Don't leave me here alone_, a voice in the back of his head had pleaded. _She can take care of herself, can't she? _

He sat cross-legged, hands on his knees, and let his mind wander. He thought first of Minmay. Somehow he knew that there was more separating them than billions of miles—_light years?_—of interstellar space. He was a pilot, a soldier. She was an idol, a public darling. Sure, they had youth in common—her nineteen was close enough to his twenty-two. Certainly, he could be flighty and youthful in his own way—questioning orders, acting brashly in combat—but he was mostly serious in the discharge of his duties. Her sort of youth was different—she was innocent and fickle and earnest, grounded only by her passion for singing. He sighed, and wondered if he or any man could ever really hold her heart. He thought of her as a hummingbird—vibrant and delicate and full of beautiful melodies, but always moving, never lingering in one place for too long.

Hikaru next thought of Roy, who had been so many things to him—friend, mentor, confidant, kindred spirit, sempai, role model. Inside that foreign Zentradi ship, trying to escape and rescue Minmay and Kaifun, Roy had shown why he deserved his rank of Major—he was tenacious, showing no fear in engaging the enemy on their own turf, and had used the confusion that the Meltran attack had brought to their advantage. When his own fighter was badly damaged, he continued to combat the Zentradi soldiers with his blaster, giving weaponless Hikaru and Misa the chance to escape and rescue the precious civilian captives. He truly had gone down in a blaze of glory, and in his dying moment, had given Hikaru a message to Claudia, his deep, true love.

Hikaru shuddered. _Am I a coward to not want to die like you, Roy? I don't want to let you down. _He sighed, and tried to remember some happier times. He laughed aloud when he recalled Roy's brazen attempt to give him advice about women at that bar, embracing Claudia passionately until they were lying horizontally on the booth, partially hidden from view. He and Misa had both blushed in embarrassment at the awkward scene they were witnessing. The sound of muffled kissing and Roy's throaty chuckle as Claudia softly sighed his name couldn't be unheard. Hikaru smiled to himself. _You were one of a kind, Roy._

Hikaru's reverie was interrupted as he saw a faraway dot emerge from the far side of the _Prometheus_ ruins in the distance. It inched its way toward the shoreline, and he knew instantly that it was Misa. Jumping to his feet in anticipation, he was unsure if he should shake her out of frustration or hug her in relief. _She might be the only other living human being in this universe or any!_ He sat back down quickly, blushing. _Get a grip!_ She walked toward him slowly, shedding droplets of water from every limb. _Beautiful._ He drank her image in. Wet, butterscotch-colored hair hung limply past her shoulders, a few strands plastered across her face. She brushed the errant locks aside with her gloved hand, exposing a pair of misty viridian eyes. Curiously, he furrowed his brows and opened his mouth to speak, but she spoke first, sitting on the shore below.

"Tell me, Hikaru. What is it like to be an orphan?" He could tell that she was trying to keep her voice from breaking, to prevent tears from escaping. His heart sank as she tried to keep her pain from him. Reflexively, he ran a hand through his hair, a thousand thoughts racing through his mind. _What happened on that ship? _He swallowed deliberately, and struggled to resist the urge to bombard her with questions. Softly, he answered her question with one of his own. "Misa, I think we are all orphans now." He looked toward the sky, and gestured to the barren ground.

Misa took in a deep breath and slowly sighed, letting the air out of her chest slowly. She forced a weak smile and said, "You're right, how silly of me." Hikaru stared numbly at her, not knowing what to say or do. She met his eyes. "My father was on that ship." Her voice was barely above a whisper, tears starting to roll down her cheeks. He took a sharp breath in at her revelation. Leaving his perch, he kneeled next to her on the sand and took one of her gloved hands in both of his. He had always struggled to deal with his own complicated feelings, and felt utterly useless in comforting her in this dire moment. _I'm sorry, I wish I were better at this_, he thought, wishing she could know how sorry he was. All he could do was hold her gaze and her hand in solidarity.

_Those eyes, _she thought, losing herself in the deep, lapis pools in front of her. Before she could blush, she stood up, breaking their fragile handlock. She turned toward the Valkyrie, feeling vulnerable, wishing she could reclaim command of the situation. She sighed, not knowing what to do next. _Misa, get a hold of yourself! _Hikaru stood up, walked to her, and put a gloved hand on her shoulder. His touch made her shiver. "It's time to eat, Misa. You haven't had a bite in at least 36 hours," he said gently. She nodded, and soon he had produced a few tins of food and a multiutensil from the VF's stores.

Sitting on the sand, they faced each other. The food didn't require cooking, which was both good and bad—a warm meal was work, but it was also comforting, satisfying, reminiscent of home. "We can't eat more than one tin today," she said, looking him straight in the eyes. "We have to make it last as long as we can." Her voice was quiet, but her eyes were insistent.

"Back to your practical self, I see," he replied, a smile in his voice. "I agree though. Why don't you have a few bites and then I'll take a turn?" He suggested. She forced a few salty mouthfuls down, trying not to wince at the taste. Wiping her mouth with the back of her arm, she proffered the can to him.

"_Bon appétit_, Hikaru," she said, with a roll of her eyes. "I didn't realize UN Spacy rations were quite so—_ahem—_gourmet…?" Her voice trailed off. He was heartened by her attempt at levity. _You're so strong_, he thought, in silent admiration. After he choked down a few sporkfuls, he chucked the empty can over his shoulder with a flourish.

"Gochisousama," he said with a mischievous look on his face. She chuckled softly and smiled. Humor had been in short supply lately, and she was grateful for the diversion, though it was brief.

Hikaru returned the unopened tins and the utensil to a storage compartment on the VF. _Back to work_, Misa ordered herself. _Stay focused._ "Well, it's about time we started to search the Earth for survivors. How much fuel do we have?" she asked abruptly. He took a moment to think. "Enough for two or three days," he replied, arching his eyebrows at her sudden shift in attitude. _She couldn't let a nice moment last too long_, he thought to himself drolly."Let's get going then," she said_. _He nodded, happy at least at the prospect of flying again.

Before long, they were airborne. The landscape was an unending swath of bleak devastation, punctuated only by the distinction between water and land. He piloted in silence as she stared out the window, mourning inside for their lost civilization. Occasionally, she would doze off, exhausted from lack of rest, the long swim, and her emotional discovery aboard the wrecked aircraft carrier. But the solace of sleep never lasted for more than a few minutes.

As afternoon pressed on and evening approached, the sky turned a sinister shade of red-orange. Combined with the eerie glow of the golden sun, the terrain looked as alien as a Zentradi planet. They recognized no familiar landmarks over the various cities they surveyed. Everything was the same—rubble—distinguished only by the size and shape of the wreckage. The rural stretches were even worse. What used to be verdant forests were blackened tree skeletons. What was once hardy farmland was chalky, dusty desert.

It was Hikaru who suggested making camp at nightfall, and Misa agreed. The plane was landed, the tent pitched, and the sleeping bags set on the unforgiving ground once more. The mood was contemplative, and neither had much to say to the other. _What are we going to do? _She wondered, unknowing that he was plagued by the same thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note: I spent all day yesterday writing this chapter - keeping these two in character is challenging, but enjoyable. I *do* have an outline of where I want this to go, but we'll see where it actually ends up! Thanks for your follows and reviews - please keep them coming!**

**Author's note 2: I have Chapter 5 written! I will proof and post tomorrow (Wednesday 4/2). Thanks and sit tight!**

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Misa jolted awake from dreamless sleep, roused by shouting from inside the tent. She sat up in utter darkness, hands fumbling for the small flashlight she had taken to keeping near the top of her sleeping bag. Hikaru had been amused by her camping readiness habits, but her foresight was paying off now. With a twist of the handle, a thin beam of light cut through the night and she immediately pointed it in his direction. He was twisting in his sleeping bag, eyes closed, apparently caught in the throes of a nightmare.

"Roy! ROY! LOOK OUT!" Hikaru's voice was strained, desperate, wild.

_Poor guy, _thought Misa. They had both been through a lot in the past few days. Searching for the small solar-powered lantern that was somewhere inside the tent, she circled the flashlight around the curved walls until she could eye it. She disentangled herself from the sleeping bag and made her way to the small metal cylinder near the tent's door. A switch shot a dull, amber wave of light through the small space. Combined with the orange tent walls, it was almost like sunset had fallen inside their nylon oasis.

Hikaru's shouts for Roy had stopped for the moment, but his body continued to thrash. As Misa made her way over to him, he let out a long scream.

"AGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH, NOOOOOO! STOPPPPP!" Hikaru called out uncontrollably.

Whatever terrors he was facing, they weren't going away. Most of the time, Misa's own intense nightmares were fleeting—she usually couldn't remember what had scared her upon waking, but she always felt a sense of dread, knowing she had been deeply afraid. She shuddered. Crouching next to him, she unzipped his bag enough to expose his chest. Hikaru was sleeping in a black undershirt, at least from the waist up. She put her hands on his shoulders. Gently, she tried to shake him a little, hoping the movement would pull him from his tortured sleep.

"Hikaru. Hikaru. Wake up. You're dreaming," said Misa, her voice serene and steady. No answer. His eyebrows were still furrowed, his mouth open. His distress was plain. She took a firmer grasp on her shoulders and gave him a few hard shakes.

"Wake up. It's Misa. You're okay. We're in the tent." Her voice rose louder. His eyes fluttered open. Instinctively, he grabbed at her arms feebly with his hands. Blinking a few times, he took in the scene. The light was on. She had her hands on his chest. He was halfway out of his sleeping bag. He felt exhausted, but relieved in a way.

Yawning, he sputtered, "Wh-what are you doing?" His voice was low, labored, heavy with sleep. He yawned again.

"You were shouting in your sleep. I think you had a nightmare," she replied. He nodded groggily and shut his eyes.

"Oh. Okay. Thanks." He mumbled dozily. Uninhibited by the stupor of sleep, he pulled her elbows in with his hands, bringing her close to him. He put one arm around her, his hand resting on her back.

"Mmm," he muttered dreamily, before letting sleep take him away once more.

Misa's eyes were wide as saucers. Her head was resting in the crook of Hikaru's chest and upper arm, which wasn't uncomfortable, but definitely unexpected. She swallowed nervously and tried to stay as still as possible, suddenly frozen in her own skin. _Does he think I'm Minmay? _She wondered, her own brows furrowing in confusion. She knew Hikaru had been trying to impress the pretty songstress when had taken her into space aboard the training plane. They had first forged a connection while trapped together for three days in a remote hold of the SDF-01.

She pushed Minmay from her mind, knowing she was in all likelihood dead, along with the rest of humanity. Sighing quietly, she looked at Hikaru's profile, illuminated by the bronze light of the lantern. His wild hair was the color of black coffee. Pieces of it fell haphazardly across his forehead, the ends grazing strong brows of the same color. A straight nose gave way to smooth lips, slightly open. His chin was ever so slightly dimpled, something she had never noticed before. _He's handsome—I'll give him that_, she mused. _I could be stranded with worse!_

Nestled against Hikaru's body, she listened to his restful breathing and found it calming. She could feel her own heartbeat slowing. Closing her eyes, her taut muscles slowly relaxed. Dozily, Misa wondered how long she had been tensing them. _Let it go_, she commanded herself, surrendering to sleep. Before long, the lantern exhausted its solar energy stores, and the tent was devoid of light once more.

The small hours of the night crept along, slowly giving way to the first light of a new day. The rose gold sun began to inch up the horizon, gradually lightening the small shelter. Hikaru woke, rubbing an eye with one hand. His mouth opened in surprise at the feeling of another person breathing next to him, but he was careful to keep quiet. Looking down his chest, turning his head slightly, he saw the caramel-colored hair of his Captain. Her face was peaceful with sleep. _How did she get here?_ He wondered suddenly.

Focusing his mind on the night before, the memory of a bad dream returned. As if Roy's death wasn't bad enough, Hikaru kept reliving it over and over in sleep, which left a fresh ache in his heart every morning. Vaguely, he recalled Misa shaking him awake, trying to free him from his nightmare. Cheeks reddening, he knew must have pulled her toward him in a semi-conscious haze, a rare moment free from restraint. _Still, she stayed... _

Hikaru observed Misa as she slept. She was laying on her side, with one cheek resting in the space where his chest met his shoulder. She looked small, unguarded, harmless. She murmured something in her sleep and brought her arm on top of his torso, her fingers grasping at his black undershirt. Seeing her reach out for him so tenderly, something suddenly clicked in his mind. She wouldn't remember embracing him when she woke, but it didn't matter.

_Roy is gone. Minmay is gone. The SDF-01 is gone. The human race is gone. _Hikaru thought to himself. These were difficult realizations—yet, strangely, he was not disheartened. He pulled his sleeping Captain in closer, suddenly grateful for her presence. _Because of you, I am not alone_. He sighed aloud, letting more than mere air escape from his chest. With that breath, he bid a silent farewell to his prior life. With the next exhale, he released what he had imagined for his future just days earlier.

When Misa woke, she raised herself slightly by an elbow and stole a glance at Hikaru. His deep blue eyes met her gaze. _Shit, he's awake! _She though to herself frantically. Instantly, her face flushed, and she quickly sat up, trying to detach herself from the awkward situation. _Did we really sleep so close like that all night?_ She hadn't disliked the closeness, but had no idea how he was feeling about it.

"Good morning," he said to her slowly, propping himself up with his arms. Misa sat on her knees, calves underneath her thighs. She wore an anxious look on her face.

"Good morning," she replied warily, unsure what to make of the situation. Hikaru sat up and crossed his legs. He smiled a little, and opened his mouth to speak. He was determined to dispel the uncomfortable atmosphere in the little tent.

"We are probably the only two people left in this galaxy. We should probably get to know each other a little better now." Hikaru's voice was strong, but kind. Misa raised an eyebrow at him.

"What do you mean, 'get to know each other?'" she replied quizzically. _What are you playing at, Ichijou? _She crossed her arms. He found her confused look endearing.

"Okay, I'll start. My favorite food is curry rice. I've been around planes my whole life—my father was an air racer and acrobat and he taught me how to fly when I was six years old. He died in a plane crash when I was fifteen." He paused. "My favorite color is red. I don't like snakes. Now it's your turn." He pressed his lips together and looked her in the eyes.

She sighed, and tucked her hair behind her ears. "My favorite food is gyudon. The color I like the most is yellow. My best subject in school was mathematics." She swallowed. "I was very lonely at boarding school and military academy. My mother died when I was thirteen years old. I am not very good at making new friends." Her voice grew quieter at the end. She looked in his eyes, somewhat sadly.

Hikaru nodded in response. "This is a good start. Now, let's eat."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's note: Here's Chapter 5 as promised. There's no going back for Hikaru and Misa now! Thank you for your continued support and feedback. I love your reviews - please tell me what you like and don't! :)**

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Hikaru left the tent for a moment, and when he came back, he had the carbon-steel bin containing all of their remaining food and water supplies in his arms. Setting the box on the sand floor, the two survivors did an inventory of what they still had left. They both knew the importance of making it last as long as possible. Misa plucked a few items from the container and began opening them carefully. While she worked, Hikaru returned the box to its cargo hold. _Better not to be tempted_, he thought to himself. A can was opened and a canteen of water was filled when he returned. She let him have the first few bites while she drank. Then they exchanged, trading every so often until both vessels were emptied.

The morning's awkward start had burned off like morning clouds under the sun. Hikaru's icebreaker, which had initially struck Misa as a little juvenile, had helped her reframe her thoughts about him. Part of being an efficient, capable bridge officer meant making snap judgments about her fellow servicemen and women, including Hikaru. From the start, she'd had him pegged as a rash, immature pilot who carried a torch for a pretty idol. Only a few people in her life crossed over into multi-dimensional beings—Admiral Global, Claudia, Riber, and now, Hikaru. She wondered if they could properly be called friends at this point. _How strange, to spend the night in a man's arms and wonder if you are friends in the morning._ She shook her head at the thought, and smiled. _No stranger than being the last woman on Earth!_

Hikaru and Misa chatted a little more after their makeshift meal had ended, mostly about light topics—the temperature (surprisingly mild), whether it might rain (doubtful in light of the cloudless sky), where to scout next. The Valkyrie's fuel supply was limited, but neither felt right about sitting idle. Hikaru chalked it up to their conditioning as soldiers—always on a mission. Misa suggested flying across the ocean, since it was less miserable than the city ruins they had become accustomed to seeing. Hikaru agreed, and they set off in the familiar orange VF-1A.

In the sky, Misa could understand why flying was so appealing to pilots. Resting her chin in the palm of her hand, she found flight almost paradoxical. She was impossibly tiny—insignificant—in comparison to the vast ocean they soared above, but a bird's-eye view was a hell of a way to experience her own meaninglessness. Occasionally, she would ask Hikaru a question about their location or altitude or what was on radar. But mostly she let herself enjoy the ride, in an unusual departure from discipline. Hikaru didn't mind her introspective mood. _Flying like this is so peaceful_, he thought, glancing behind him at his absorbed passenger.

Underneath the endless pale blue sky, hours seemed to pass like minutes as they passed from clouds to sunshine and back again. _How long have we been up here?_ Misa wondered, in between daydreams. It was probably afternoon by now. She was about to ask Hikaru what time it was, when something in the distance caught her eye. Sitting up to focus, she leaned toward the cockpit window. Her hands rested on the Plexiglass like a child peeking in a candy shop window. It was too large to be a bird, and it wasn't moving.

"Hey, what is that over there? Do you see that object, off to the right?" She pointed her right hand at the horizon. "Are we near any islands?" She asked. He turned to look, craning his neck.

"I can see it, but I don't know what it is. Navigation says there aren't any known islands within a 100-kilometer radius," Hikaru replied, puzzled. Instinctively, he turned around to face his Captain, waiting for her command. _Old habits die hard_, he thought to himself. _When we're the only ones left, does rank even matter?_ Considering his audience, he knew that was a thought best left unsaid. He smirked at the thought.

Misa was focused on the distant speck. Her curiosity was piqued. "Let's go check it out," she said.

"Roger that," he replied jauntily.

Hikaru dropped the Valkyrie effortlessly and switched to Gerwalk mode. Soon, they hovered over the water's surface, pushing twin tails of fresh, frothy wake behind them as they shot forward toward the mystery object. Misa could tell he was enjoying himself—his flight style as they had searched for survivors had been much less energetic. Only a few minutes passed, but the excitement made it feel like an hour. Slowly, the dot grew larger and larger, its shape revealing itself to the two explorers.

Hikaru raised his helmet visor to see it unobscured. "It—it almost looks like a column of some sort," he said, face tilted back slightly so she could hear him better.

"I was expecting an oil rig or something, but this doesn't look like any drilling platform I've ever seen," replied Misa pensively. She knew her ocean structures and sea vessels, being an Admiral's daughter.

Hikaru circled around the structure a few times as they took in the scene from all angles. Misa watched intently, mouth open. Hikaru stole glances as he continued to pilot, eventually steadying them above its surface, letting the thrusters keep them airborne, hovering over their discovery.

"It's a column, all right. But what _is _it?" She wondered aloud.

It was a good question. The structure was about twenty-five meters high, about the height of a five- or six-story building. It was effectively covered in what could only be described as sea rot—ugly, grey-green, bulbous calcification. Misa wondered what color it had originally been, before it had grown a second, slimy-looking exoskeleton. Whatever it was, it had been submerged for a very long time. Its base was cylindrical, with a wider, flat surface on top, almost like a deflated toadstool. A few small domes edged around the perimeter, encircling a central dome with a tall spire reaching for the sky. There was no doubt it was a ruin of some sort, but not one she recognized from her boarding school history books.

Hikaru grinned at her. "Maybe it's the lost city of Atlantis! Do you know that story?" He asked. "A great sunken civilization, lost to mankind for thousands of years!" His voice was full of wonder.

Misa snickered. "Could be! Let's find out." She was just as eager to get off the plane as he was.

Using the VF-1A's radar and navigation systems, Hikaru was able to discern that the top, circular structure was stable enough to land on. He didn't worry about running into any hostile lifeforms on its surface, not on a ruin as dilapidated as this one. _No sense parking far away when nobody's home!_ He thought to himself.

He turned to Misa. "We can land here. So you should sit down now." She nodded, not realizing that she was even standing. A nervous rush of excitement permeated the small cabin. Once she was seated, he descended upon the ruin. He landed the craft tentatively, despite his knowledge that the surface was sound. He popped the cockpit instantly, suddenly in a rush to unstrap himself and Misa. She got herself unbuckled and watched as he practically flung himself onto the ground below. He ran toward the tail of the plane to get the small ladder from its belly so she could debark.

"Don't bother," she called to him. He heard a thud, and there she was, on the surface. She had landed pretty well, in a squat of sorts, one knee raised, palms to the ground. A slight wind played with her hair.

"Do they teach that in cadet school?" He teased, one eyebrow raised.

"Actually, no. I took that straight from the Ichijou playbook," she replied irreverently, hands on her hips. She raised her eyebrows, cocking her head for effect.

He smiled. Reflexively, he walked over to her and took her hands, pulling her up from her landing position.

She swallowed nervously. "I can't possibly imagine what is in there," she said, looking into his eyes.

"Me either," he agreed, his gaze fixed with hers. He released her hands. They both became more serious in that moment, knowing that they were on the precipice of something truly unknown, undiscovered, alien. _We are pioneers now, _she thought. They began walking slowly toward the central dome, looking for an entrance or some form of opening. They had made it about halfway around the circular structure when Hikaru pointed out what like a door or airlock. As they approached it cautiously, Misa silently noted that it was sized for humans, not Zentradi or Meltrandi.

She touched a hand to its discolored, weathered surface. Before she could form a thought, the door slid open with an eerie _ooooosh_, as if it had been waiting for them. She gasped. Instinctively, Hikaru put a protective hand on her shoulder.

Before they had even stepped across the threshold, something struck Misa as odd. "The lights are on," she intoned slowly, her voice low. Hikaru tightened his grip on her shoulder, his mouth agape.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's note: Wow, it has been a week since I last published! Sorry for the delay! Work has been busy and this was a hell of a chapter to write. I won't lie, it was challenging for me - but that's not a bad thing! **

**Anyway, I found the movie version of this scene to be a little . . . underwhelming. I wanted my version to be serious, believable, and emotionally resonant. Movie Misa & Hikaru are so nonplussed about discovering this ruin of culture - even after meeting a race of alien giants, I would think they would be shocked to a) find remnants of an ancient civilization on their own planet, and b) learn that humanity was genetically engineered by the Protoculture. But I digress.**

**Please review - your feedback (good or bad) is very motivating to me. I have a few chapters up my sleeve yet!**

**Thank you as always to my reviewers and followers! Hope you enjoy.**

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Misa could feel Hikaru's fingers tightening around her shoulder. They were slick with cold sweat, not that she could feel the clamminess through her flight suit. She swallowed, trying to contain the surge of dread that was turning her stomach. She felt like retching, but knew that the adrenaline coursing through her veins wouldn't allow it. Exhaling slowly, she took a series of deep breaths, knowing she could regulate her respiration, even if she couldn't do anything about her uncontrollable heartbeat. _Steady… Steady… _she commanded herself. _What is there to be afraid of?_

Wordlessly, she took a few tentative steps forward. Hikaru followed numbly, his hand still on her shoulder. His breathing was stilted, and she couldn't tell if the pounding in her ears was his pulse or hers. The door slid closed behind them. Its muted, mechanical hiss startled her—at once, she contracted every muscle in her body. Instantly, she turned on her heel to face the door, her eyes wide, pupils dilated. She was too anxious to feel sheepish about her uncharacteristically jumpy behavior.

"It closed behind us," said Hikaru, in a calm voice that he meant to sound reassuring. _It's unlike her to be this agitated._ He frowned to himself. Exploring an ancient ruin that somehow still had working doors and lights was unnerving at best, but her reaction was making him edgier. _You have to be strong, for her and for you. Like Roy would have been._ He balled his hand into a fist. Misa turned her head at the sound of his voice. It had cut through the silence like a dagger, snapping her from her shock. She nodded at him, and reached her right hand for his left. Together, they inched forward into the room, taking in the scene.

A circle of translucent orbs adorned the ceiling. Blinking, Misa could see that the room, like the ceiling light formation above, was round. Each luminous dome gave off a weak, bluish light that appeared vaguely florescent. _What sort of power has kept the lights on in here for so long? _Misa wondered, glad to be back in an analytical mindset. Lowering her eyes, she could see that the interior was dominated by a large, circular console. Upon closer inspection, it was actually composed of multiple individual terminals, a seat in front of each station. Walking slowly, the pair approached the ring of unfamiliar machines.

Misa put her hand on the back of one of the station chairs, eyeing the details of the strange piece of furniture. She doubted it was of human making, and wondered if the inside of Zentran or Meltran control rooms looked like this. Though the space wasn't sized for the giants, it had an otherworldy appearance that was not unlike the interior of the one Zentradi spacecraft she had ever been inside. _One ship is a pretty small sample size for alien furniture design_, she admitted to herself. She turned to face Hikaru, who stood next to her.

"It almost looks like a bridge," Misa said, in a voice barely above a whisper. She looked at his face. His expression was a slight grimace, his jaw a bit clenched, but his indigo eyes were soft, concerned, locked on her own. She paused for a second.

"But that can't be—there aren't any windows," she murmured vaguely, distracted. Hikaru nodded blandly. He willed himself to concentrate on her words—for some reason, he was having a hard time focusing on what she was saying. He cleared his throat, trying to relax his face, ordering his mind back to the present moment.

"If it's not military, then what is this place?" He wondered aloud. Somehow, this abandoned, decaying hold was much more alien to him than the armed Zentradi battleship on which he had briefly been a prisoner.

Misa realized she was still holding Hikaru's hand. Releasing it gently, she sat down at the foreign helm of one of the terminals. He stood behind her, arms on the chair back. Slowly, he leaned in, his head hovering above her shoulder. The machine before their eyes resembled a computer. _It looks so old,_ Misa thought to herself. _But somehow, it's modern too._ A flat, rectangular screen was at eye level, with a few fixed buttons flanking its sides. Curiously, no keyboard was present anywhere. Instinctively, she touched a finger to the screen, which illuminated every individual monitor along the ring.

She stiffened in surprise. Her back pressed into Hikaru's hands, which he brought to her shoulders. Her eyes darted left, and then right, and she saw that each individual terminal displayed the same image – a stark white background, uncluttered by icons or text or anything she would have normally expected a computer screen to show. Without warning, an androgynous voice rang out, speaking a language neither could understand.

Misa jumped from her chair, astonished and frightened and curious all at once. Hikaru mirrored her movement, bolting upright, but he had reacted to her, rather than the strange voice reverberating throughout the hold. Taking her forearms in his hands, he pulled her closer to him. As he inhaled, he caught the smell of salt and sunlight on her skin. Misa was too overwhelmed to notice their haphazard embrace. She could only stare at his dazed face in silence, not knowing what to make of the eerie voice or its unintelligible speech. Its unfamiliar sound echoed slightly, bouncing off the circular walls.

Steadied by the warm energy that Hikaru radiated, Misa harnessed her wild feelings. "Who are you?" she shouted. Afterwards, she realized the absurdity of speaking a modern Earth language to an old, strange machine that was generating alien intonations.

The voice began to drone again, in a tongue that neither Misa nor Hikaru could begin to comprehend. All of the terminal screens suddenly changed images—each displayed an illuminated green circle set against a black background. The circles pulsated in unison, growing brighter and dimmer, beckoning. Something compelled Misa to touch one. She started to pull away from Hikaru, and he let her take a step or two before grasping one of her hands. Stretching her other arm out, she reached a hand out to the circle. He didn't prevent her from making contact, but he didn't want to break their handhold. She pressed her fingertips lightly against the screen's glossy surface.

The voice spoke once more—but this time, it was different.

"Analysis complete," a mannered female voice said.

"This is impossible!" Misa exclaimed. "What is happening?"

"How does it know our language?" Hikaru cried, as stupefied as his companion.

"Who are you?!" Misa shouted once more. Her voice was insistent, desperate, almost angry.

The polite voice gave answers, but not to the questions they asked.

"Time elapsed: 20,000 cycles of primary star Sol in immediate interstellar space.

Survivor count: Two. One adult female. One adult male. No offspring.

Species: Modern hominoids genetically engineered to inhabit planet Sol-IV.

Colonization status: Incomplete.

Energy status: Depleted.

Current power source: Emergency reserves.

Emergency reserve status: 2% remaining."

It was silent again, but only for a minute.

"Central computer, what is your command?" The female voice spoke once more.

A thousand questions raced through Misa's mind, but they would have to wait. This was a working computer, and a seemingly robust one, running on the last of its power. She thought fast.

"Initiate distress communication to all fold-capable spacecraft detected in the local universe!" She exclaimed, her voice cracking.

The screens became a jumble of unfamiliar symbols and shapes, scrolling rapidly, which Misa could only hope was a message. She turned to Hikaru, raising her head to meet his gaze.

"If the SDF-01 is still out there, maybe they'll receive our transmission," she said breathlessly, a waver of hope in her voice.

He nodded, placing his hands on her upper arms. "The Zentradi or Meltrandi might get it too, but that's a chance I would gladly take," he said gently, his voice full of emotion. He stepped closer to her.

"Central computer, what is your command?" The female voice interrupted.

Misa turned her head and shoulders back to the ring of terminals. "Access last recorded captain's log," she spoke steadily. "And translate." _Certainly, a vessel this advanced kept records of who was aboard and why!_ She thought. Hikaru had to admire her focus, but the last thing on his mind was the most recent captain's log.

After a few minutes of quiet, the robotic voice returned.

"Last dated message of colony supervisor accessed. Translation complete. Playback."

'_If you are in receipt of this communication, please accept my salutations and greetings. You have arrived at Protoculture Colony 6-183-SK-49, tasked with genetically engineering intelligent life on planet Sol-IV by manipulating its indigenous microorganisms. The purpose of this project has been to create a habitable environment for potential Zentran and or Meltran settlement in the distant future, after the blood war between the two super-races has reached its conclusion. This vital undertaking on Sol-IV has been a successful project, with the number of unique species created in excess of 8.7 million. Modern interstellar colonization efforts seldom generate such a high degree of biodiversity, but we have found Sol-IV to be a very hospitable host planet. Unfortunately, our time here is at an end. Initial fold signatures have revealed thousands of Zentradi destroyer-class battleships within the local interstellar universe. It is with great personal and professional regret that we leave our life's work to seek safety on a new host planet, where we shall begin our mission anew. We have preserved this modest research settlement for our future return, should it be feasible, or perhaps for peaceful travelers who may discover it. Please continue our mission, if you are able. This has been my final message. Lead Biologist and Colony Superintendent Peralt Nolmezda bids you farewell.'_

"Message complete." The voice finished.

Before Misa could fully digest and appreciate the message, the central computer spoke once more, interfering with her thoughts.

"Emergency reserve status has fallen to 1%. Remaining power shall be used to elevate the colony, effective immediately. Please brace for impact."

Within seconds of the central computer's final words, the walls around Hikaru and Misa began to shake, sending them into a precarious embrace once more. Holding on to one another for stability, the floor beneath them began to rise. Debris rained down from above, colliding with the ground. The sick sound of metal scraping against metal rang throughout the hold. Reflexively, Misa buried her head into Hikaru's chest, seeking shelter from the violent clamor that surrounded them. He brought his head down to hers, his chin grazing her russet hair. Together, they waited for the storm to pass.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: ****Wow, guys, it has been far too long since my last chapter! Between tax time at work and traveling and a sinus infection and preparing to move, I am not exaggerating when I say I've had no time to write! Today, I finally found time (after midnight, of course!).**

**Anyway, back to the story. I knew where I wanted this chapter to go but had trouble getting it down a few days ago. Everything seemed forced and awful. But then tonight, it really clicked. So I hope you enjoy and thanks for reading. Hope it was worth the wait - and yes, there is more to come.**

**Finally, please review! I am forever grateful for your feedback. It really keeps me going.**

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Misa blinked her eyes open, her nose and chin still pressed into Hikaru's sternum. The dull, thundering din had finally ceased. Metallic fragments no longer dropped capriciously from above. Yet, the ground still shook. She shifted her weight from one foot to another, bending her knees slightly to absorb the impact. It was only after a few moments of stillness that she realized the vibrations were hers alone—she was trembling.

Misa swallowed, willing her body to be still. _You're a Captain, born and bred from a proud military family. You've seen fellow soldiers die and your home planet laid to waste! You're one of two people to know the true origin of the human species_—_act like it!_ She thought to herself angrily. She clenched her jaw, trying to be as hard and cold as the ground beneath her. But despite her training and her best efforts, she couldn't deny feeling any longer, not after what she—_they_—had seen together as castaways on their own ruined world. She scowled to herself, knowing that her days of practiced detachment were officially over.

Hikaru lifted his face from Misa's locks, releasing her slightly from his chest, sliding his hands down her arms until he caught her elbows. He held them gently, waiting for her to shrug him off. She didn't, not yet. He told himself that he was protecting her, keeping her safe from falling debris, but even his subconscious knew that wasn't the whole story. _We're friends now, and friends help each other._ He nodded, satisfied with the tale he was telling himself.

"Are you alright?" Hikaru asked earnestly, his bright eyes looking for hers. She nodded, lifting her head to make eye contact.

"I'm fine, just shaken up—literally," Misa replied, trying to keep her voice brighter with humor. She smiled weakly, looking deep into his eyes. They twinkled as if he was up to something, but she knew this was no place for a pilot's pranks.

Reluctantly, Hikaru released her elbows, offering her a hand instead. "Let's go outside and see the settlement." She had to give him one thing—he certainly had a knack for changing the subject at the right time. Misa smiled gratefully, but her slightly furrowed eyebrows betrayed anxiety. While she longed to discuss what they had just witnessed with the computer and the distress call and the captain's log, she knew she wasn't ready, and suspected Hikaru might not be either. Accepting his hand, she let him lead her out of the door they had entered.

As the portal to the outside opened, Hikaru shielded his eyes with his one free hand. He was careful with his steps, knowing she would echo his footfalls. After a few paces out the door, he stopped. She halted a step later. The small column they had landed upon had been surrounded by gray-green-blue ocean when they entered. Now, they stood in the center of an entire community, dotted with scores of buildings and ruins of all shapes and sizes, all of it covered in calcified slime. Misa inhaled audibly, impressed by its sheer size.

"Wow," Hikaru murmured. "It's so big." His voice trailed off.

"There must have been thousands of people living here," She mused thoughtfully.

"Who would have thought we'd be the only ones to return?" Hikaru wondered aloud, turning his head toward her. To that question, Misa had no answer.

Together, they walked to the edge of the domed platform, hands still entwined. Hikaru hadn't let go, so Misa kept her hand in his. More and more, she found herself enjoying his presence, even in silence. _Especially in silence_, she thought. She stole a quick look at him, and embarrassingly, caught his eyes. _There are a hundred buildings to behold, none ever seen by human eyes, and instead we're looking at each other._ She smiled incredulously at Hikaru, and slowly returned her gaze to the city before her. His eyebrows crinkled questioningly at her, but she had already turned her head.

After a few moments in the open air, it was evident that the platform they stood on was the highest point on the artificial island. Several stair paths radiated from its surface like spokes on a wheel. Misa felt compelled to start exploring, though she wondered if her mind had the capacity to store anything new after all the discovering they had just done. _I'm maxed out for shocking revelations_, she thought to herself wryly.

Hikaru pointed. "Let's start over there," he ventured He was gesturing toward cluster of small, domed buildings spaced evenly apart.

"Sound good," Misa replied, grateful that for once, she didn't have to make the decision or give the order. She would never admit to it aloud, but in moments of particular stress, she often sank into indecisiveness, a trait she loathed in military officers—herself included.

Hikaru led the way down one of the stair paths, toward the group of rounded structures that he estimated to be a few hundred meters in the distance. At some point, their hands had separated. Hikaru strode a few steps ahead, Misa following a little slower, trying to take in the details of the city. She failed to commit anything to memory but not for lack of trying. To her tired eyes, it all looked more or less the same—a swath of ancient metal formations that were either rusted or covered in sea rot, all of it smelling of stale moisture and salt.

Suddenly, Hikaru sped up, practically jogging toward something. Misa kept her pace, eventually making her way to him. He was crouched near one of the freestanding metal objects, inspecting it close up.

"It looks like some kind of transport machine!" He exclaimed. "I wonder if it still works?" He pondered. Sure enough, it had what looked like a cockpit hatch, though time had turned the once-clear material translucent. Even alien glass wasn't impervious to Earth's atmosphere.

Misa pressed her lips together. "I'm sure whatever communication systems inside have been inoperable for thousands of years," she replied flatly.

Hikaru opened his mouth in surprise, clearly on a different page from his Captain. "I meant, I wonder if it still flies!" He clarified, a rakish smile on his face.

All Misa could say was, "Oh."

He chuckled at her response. Of course, he knew the machine would never see the air again. _What a pity_, Hikaru thought to himself. _All this technology and culture, wasted by the warring giants._

Misa had turned her interest to the structure next to the decaying machine. It had a domed roof and stood about 4 meters high. She wandered in its open threshold, its door presumably lost to time and the ocean. The light of day filtered through several open window holes, illuminating the interior. After her eyes adjusted, she did a double take. In one corner was a deep basin, flanked on its sides by waist-high shelving units. Misa instantly knew they were counters and cabinets. _This is a kitchen!_ She felt somehow comforted by the realization.

She walked over to inspect the little nook more closely and was surprised to see an array of unbroken vessels floating in the basin, which was still half-full of shockingly clear water. _Even the Protoculture leave dirty dishes in the sink!_ Misa thought to herself. At first, she felt wistful, knowing that she shared something with the ancient civilization. But reverie soon gave way to feelings of dread—_imagine how quickly they must have evacuated to leave simple chores undone. _She shuddered.

Hikaru interrupted her thought. He had apparently followed her inside, though she hadn't heard him enter. He strode over to her. "Hey, wow, it's a kitchen. This must be someone's house," he remarked idly. He ran his hand through his hair, fairly uninterested in the dwelling. "Let's go check out some more machines. Maybe we can get inside one of them. I'd love to sit in of one of those cockpits," he suggested.

"I think I'll just stay for awhile," Misa replied dreamily. "I kind of like it here, though I couldn't say why." She blinked quickly, trying to keep her eyes dry. She didn't know why she felt on the brink of tears, but she angled her head away from Hikaru, hoping he wouldn't catch her misty gaze. He could sense that something was amiss, and decided to give her time to breathe.

"Okay then, I'll be back in a little bit," he said warily, hoping not to upset her further.

As Hikaru walked out of the little home and down a row of living quarters identical to the one he had just been inside, he realized that his feelings towards Misa had changed dramatically in the short time they had spent alone together on Earth. At the start, he'd been furious at her stubbornness, resentful of her various commands, and contemptuous of her opinions. Now he was holding her hand—_and her body, _he gulped to himself—and trying to comfort her.

He stopped suddenly outside one of the small homes, abandoning his plan to inspect more vehicles. Slowly, he sank to the ground, back pressed against the rounded exterior wall. He tried to make sense of his thoughts. _It's different now, with Misa. I'm different now. _He thought back to their intimate tent moment, when, freshly awakened from a nightmare, he'd pulled her into a close embrace that lasted until morning. He shivered, his body electric from head to toe. He stood up and decided it was time to go back to the kitchen where he'd left her.

When he returned, he found Misa sitting at a table for two, surrounded by various containers. He walked over silently and took a seat across from her. Hikaru eyed the bounty before him—it was an array of what appeared to be drinking glasses, eating utensils, oddly shaped dinnerware, and a large pitcher with a square spout. After a moment, he looked up at her. She looked back at him, eyes shining and yet pained.

"Care for a drink?" She asked huskily, motioning to the glasses.

"Uh, sure," he replied hesitantly, suddenly uncertain in her presence.

Misa handed him a glass and took another in her right hand.

"Cheers," she intoned, her voice gravelly, clinking her glass with his.

"Cheers," he echoed. For effect, he pantomimed a drinking gesture, bringing the glass within an inch of his lips. He smiled and slowly set it back down on the table, not knowing what to do next.

With a deft motion of her right arm, Misa swept the alien housewares off the table angrily, sending the lot crashing onto the floor. Miraculously, nothing shattered. She buried her head in her hands, arms resting on the table. Hikaru could hear her choking back angry sobs, which tore at his heart. After a few moments, she raised her head, sucking air in greedily.

"I want to go home," she cried. Hikaru immediately knew that she did not mean Earth.

Tears streamed down Misa's face, which was quickly flushing. Hikaru darted to her, pulling her up from her chair. He wrapped her in his arms, patting her back and stroking her hair as she buried her face into his shoulder. After a few minutes, she grew quiet. She took a step back, bringing her face back into the open. Feebly, she brushed tears from her cheeks with one hand.

"I'm sorry, I—" she stammered, but he shook his head, silencing her.

Hikaru pulled Misa in close, bringing a hand to her chin, tipping it up gently, He looked down at her, and slowly inched his face toward hers. Her jade eyes were wide and wild. Soon they found his gaze, and she took in a quick breath—his eyes were intensely, devastatingly blue. Her body was coursing with adrenaline at the feel of his touch, He closed his eyes and finally brought his lips to hers, kissing her chastely, unsure how she would respond.

A few days ago, Misa would have frozen in such a situation. But after all she had been through, and all she had learned, and all she had yearned for, she realized that she wasn't the same person anymore. Unfettered, she returned Hikaru's kiss deeply. It was his turn to be surprised.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note: Well, I've recovered from illness and I'm all settled into my new apartment - which means it's time for a new chapter! Thanks for being patient with me through a very busy month in my life!**

**WARNING: This chapter is intended for a mature audience. If you don't like tasteful love scenes between the greatest couple in anime, please discontinue reading now.**

**Side note: You may be asking, "Why did you write these two a love scene? Isn't that just fanservice or wish fulfillment?" Well, I happen to think this particular love scene is canon and wanted to flesh it out (pun intended). In the DYRL movie, we see Hikaru kiss Misa at the table in the Protoculture home, after she breaks down and says she wants to go home to the SDF-01. Their embrace fades to black and the next scene is the two at dusk. Misa walks toward Hikaru, re-zipping her flight suit. Did she re-zip after doing something innocent like using the restroom, or did she re-zip because she and Hikaru had just become lovers? I choose the latter. :)**

**Last note: Please review! I live for feedback, good and bad! This is my first foray into writing fanfic and also my first time writing a love scene. I have enjoyed every moment of it and I hope you have enjoyed reading it. Thanks and stay tuned for one more chapter.**

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Hikaru's eyes flew open as Misa returned his kiss, gently prying his lips open with the tip of her tongue. He stared at her closed eyes, framed by long lashes and slightly furrowed brows. _Don't stare at her, dummy! It's rude!_ He thought to himself. Hikaru had first learned that as a kid, watching grainy old movies with his dad. The heroes of celluloid always closed their eyes when they kissed a damsel. As he grew into a young man, he'd heard plenty of hangar talk from various skirt-chasing pilots on the subject. In any case, the message was clear: keep your eyes closed when kissing a girl. But Hikaru couldn't help it—he was stunned by Misa's boldness.

Ordering his eyelids shut, his mind shifted back to the present moment. _Well, you kissed her, and she kissed back. Were you expecting her to slap you across the face like the other time?_ Hikaru wondered to himself. The thought made him chuckle a little, briefly interrupting their liplock. Slowly, Misa pulled back and opened her eyes in surprise, wondering what had caused the disruption. She could see his eyes were closed, and a mischievous smile played at the corner of his mouth.

"What's funny, Hikaru?" she asked breathily. His eyes popped open. She cocked her head to the side slightly, eyebrows slightly raised.

Hikaru swallowed and let the grin spread across his face. "Last time I—err—we—um, kissed—well, you slapped me. . . You know, when we were prisoners on the Zentradi battleship." His voice was teasing and light.

Misa shook her head slightly and smiled. "Ah, that's right. I'll never forget our demonstration of 'culture,'" she replied dreamily. She grasped him by the elbows, pulling him closer to her. She inched her nose and mouth to Hikaru's face. He inhaled as she came in closer—near enough that he thought she might bring her lips to his. Instead, she nudged his jaw sideways with her cheek, pressing her mouth to his ear.

"You're doing _much _better this time," she whispered, her voice lush and velvety.

The feel of her breath on his ear and neck made Hikaru shiver, and not from cold. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his hands into the base of her spine, his fingertips just inches from her well-formed backside. She exhaled luxuriously, bringing her face out of his ear, back within his gaze. He bent his head down slightly and their lips met once more. The kisses were soft at first, romantic and tender. They warmed Misa from the inside out. Her breathing grew shallow, her breaths coming faster.

Hikaru listened intently to her respiration, pleased that Misa was responding to—and by all accounts, enjoying—his affections. _How did I look past her for so long? _He wondered to himself. _It feels so good to be close to her, to know her, to feel her body against mine._ Misa's fingertips danced at Hikaru's chest and collarbone as their embrace intensified. He held her closer, kissed her deeper, and let his hands wander up and down, caressing everything within his reach. She responded by pressing her hands into his shoulders, wanting to hold onto him ever tighter. Despite his slim frame, he was surprisingly muscular. Her fingers tingled in excitement.

Hikaru wasn't content to let his hands have all the fun. He pressed his torso and hips into Misa's lithe, supple body. She opened her mouth in surprise and a small gasp escaped her lips. She could feel his hardness up against her—he was aroused, which sent a thrill racing through her body. Hikaru buried his face into her neck, kissing her jaw and earlobe. "Mmmmmm," she murmured, radiating desire. She could feel her own excitement stirring—a familiar warmth between her legs, aching for him.

Encouraged, he traced his fingers over her collarbones. He wanted to kiss her there, but the yoke of her flight suit blocked his hungry lips. She ran her fingertips through his dark hair, resting her small hands at the base of his neck as his hands explored her body. When brought his head up, she planted another kiss on his eager lips.

"Misa…" he intoned, drinking her in with his eyes. He retrieved her small hands from his neck and unfolded them. Grasping her right hand with both of his, he placed it on his chest, at the collar of his flightsuit.

"Help me out of this…" he pleaded. Hikaru's voice was low and throaty, as if he could barely get his thoughts out. She was momentarily stunned at his words and struggled to regain her wits. _He wants to be lovers… _At this realization, she wanted to laugh, cry, and kiss him all at once, but she attempted to keep a steady expression. _I've wanted you for so long, and I didn't know it, _she sighed to herself.

She stared up at him, her emerald eyes wavering with emotion. Her lips were slightly parted, her neck and back arched toward him. His brilliant blue orbs gleamed back at her, shining with pure energy. She brought her other hand to his chest. Pressing her fingertips into his torso, she took hold of the zipper of his flightsuit. She felt electric in this moment—infinite—alive.

Wordlessly, she brought the zipper down to his waist. He groaned at the feel of her hands running down his abdomen. With his thumb and fingertips, he stroked her jaw, sliding his palm into her long, soft locks. She shivered, determined to stay focused on the task before her. She unclasped his belt with both hands and brushed it out of the way, clearing the path for the rest of the zipper. Swallowing, she tried to keep her nerves at bay, knowing that the thin suit was all that separated her hands from his manhood.

_Why am I nervous? _She wondered. She'd had lovers before, including Riber, her fallen fiancé. After his passing, she had tried to numb the pain by taking a civilian home from time to time, but she found the conversation dull and the sex emotionless. Even in her love life, she had been careful and calculating—she made a point to frequent remote townie bars, always out of uniform, so that gossip didn't make its way back to Macross City—and it hadn't.

_It's because it's __him_, she admitted to herself. _There's something about Hikaru—he's infuriating sometimes, and he has terrible taste in pop idols, but being near him is like suddenly seeing the world in color after a lifetime spent in black and white. And I'm done living in grayscale._ Boldly, she tugged the open suit away from his shoulders, yanking at the sleeves, trying to free him from the troublesome garment. He was wearing a tight, black undershirt underneath. He stripped it off quickly, leaving the torso of his suit hanging from his waist.

Misa bent down on one knee to finish disrobing him, which sent Hikaru's mind and body into into overdrive. She could feel his wild heartbeat through his skin, and his breathing was growing increasingly labored. She started with his boots, unlacing them one by one. Delicately, she pulled one off, and then the other, as he balanced on one foot. She stood up once more, to take the suit from his waist to his ankles. Luckily, the fitted legs of the suit had side zippers, which she quickly undid. Suddenly, his body was bare, save for a pair of tight black boxer briefs that left little to the imagination. She ran her hands across his warm skin, which Hikaru found deliciously unbearable.

"Now it's your turn," she said, her voice husky. Hikaru couldn't wait to get her out of her suit, but he wanted to be gentle with her, intimate, tender. _We're not teenagers in the backseat of a borrowed car—there's no hurry_, his mind said. But the rest of his body didn't exactly agree. His fingers slid the zipper of her suit down smoothly, stopping just below her navel. He dispensed with the belt circling her waist and resumed the zipper's path down to its end, where her legs met. His fingers trembled a little as he brushed against her most intimate area. She inhaled sharply at his touch, wanting more.

Hikaru mirrored her process of undressing him, first helping Misa get her arms out of the suit, then removing her boots, and finally freeing her legs. Her undergarments consisted of a black compression top not unlike a workout bra and sporty black thong panties. It was his turn to run his arms across her flesh, which sent every nerve ending in her body firing at once.

She shot him a sexy smile and pulled away from him slightly. Deftly, she hoisted her top off above her head, baring her breasts to him. He inhaled audibly at the sight of them. _God, she's beautiful._ He stepped toward her, placing his fingertips on her perfect globes, which were neither large nor small. They were high and firm, yet soft. He brushed a thumb against her nipple, which hardened instantly at his touch.

"Where should we go?" Misa asked quietly, sheepishly, her mind never far from the practical. Hikaru looked around and grinned at the situation—it wasn't often that a pilot found himself in his underwear in the kitchen of an ancient relic of a house with his nearly-naked commanding officer. He took her hand and led her to another corner of the little dwelling, which boasted a futon sized for two pushed up against a rounded wall.

He motioned to the rudimentary bed with a smile. "It's not four-star or SDF-01 barracks issue, but I think it'll do." She laughed, nodding. He sat down first, knees open, motioning to her. The surface was a little squishy with moisture, but that was the farthest thing from Hikaru's mind. She stepped toward him, positioning herself in the space between his legs, kneeling down on the floor. They kissed again for a brief moment, punctuated when he pulled her toward him and onto the bed. She landed on top of his body, more or less straddling him.

Misa shifted her hips, feeling his hardness squarely between her legs. She pressed herself against him lustily, sighing aloud. The friction was electrifying. Hikaru moved with her, pressing his sex against hers, until he couldn't bear it anymore. Breathlessly, he sat up, shifting Misa to his side, making sure she was comfortable on the futon. He stood on his knees and removed his boxer briefs, revealing his cock to her. She eyed it, and him, greedily. She shifted from her side to her back and spread her legs, inviting him closer.

Taking the hint, Hikaru knelt between her legs and removed her panties. Misa's mound was neatly groomed and he couldn't wait to explore it further. But for now, he laid down on top of her, supporting some of his weight with his arms and upper body. She could feel the tip of his shaft pressed against her stomach. He kissed her, running his hands over her breasts, hips, and buttocks, cupping everything that could be held. Misa loved the feel of his weight on top of her.

"I want to touch you," Hikaru whispered. She nodded and opened her legs wider. He slid himself down the bed a little and traced his fingertips along her collarbone, and then her breast. He kept going, grazing her nipple, and then her slim, toned stomach. He made his way down to her hips and finally, to her sex. Gently, he separated her folds, and started to probe her opening with two fingers. She was wet and her body was ready and welcoming. He pushed his fingers into her wetness. She inhaled, surprised at first. She moaned in enjoyment as he continued.

Hikaru moved his fingers in and out rhythmically as Misa moved her hips in sync with him. After a few moments, he brought his fingers out. They were glistening with her essence. He searched for her most sensitive spot and knew he had found it when she shuddered. He massaged her clit with his wet fingers, slowly at first. She grasped the bed with her fingers, overwhelmed with feeling. Her body was aflame. Hikaru's fingers responded to her skillfully, and as she moved her hips gradually faster, he continually stroked her, matching her pace.

Between gasps, Misa encouraged him, imploring him not to stop. He knew he was getting close, which aroused him further. He wanted to be a generous lover with her, giving her everything she wanted first. Seeing her in the throes of passion inflamed him. "Hikaru…" she murmured softly. He loved it when she said his name like that. Her breathing was ragged. She was on the cusp. He caressed her until she trembled and quaked, her entire body shaking with ecstasy. She cried out his name, again and again, reeling, writhing with pleasure. As she came down from her sexual high, he slid his two fingers inside her once more to find fresh wetness. He growled lustily.

Hikaru couldn't wait any longer. "Misa," he moaned. Sensing his need, she opened her legs wide, beckoning him. He maneuvered his tip to the edge of her sheath and his eyes nearly rolled back into his skull. He was lying on top of her once more, and she wrapped her arms around his back. With a thrust of his hips, he entered her. She was wetter and tighter and warmer than he could have imagined. He groaned in utter delight. He slid himself out slowly, and back in, and did it all over again and again. Misa buried her fingertips in his back, sighing satisfyingly. He filled her so well. Now that he was inside her, she never wanted this moment to end.

Gradually, he began thrusting faster and pushing himself deeper inside her. She welcomed his length and soon, he was buried to the hilt. He couldn't help but moan out of sheer pleasure. She caressed his arms and chest, kissing his neck and jaw. It was her turn to match his pace. He plunged his cock inside her with abandon, breathing heavier and heavier, until he could contain himself no longer. With a final thrust, he filled her with his essence, collapsing on top of her. She ran a hand through his sweaty hair, stroking his locks and neck as he caught his breath.

Eventually, he rolled to the side and laid on his back, extending an arm to her. She snuggled up into his nook, where his shoulder met his torso. She curled her arm around him, entwining her legs with his. They gazed at each other in contented silence for a moment. Misa wore a sated, sleepy smile. In no time at all, she began to doze. Hikaru looked at her with a deep feeling in his heart.

"Maybe it's just the 'culture demonstration' talking here, but I think I'm falling for you," he whispered to her as she slept.


End file.
